Humidifier.



C. SUBERT.

HUMIDIFIER.

APPLIGATION FILED Nov. zo, 1907.

Patented Nov. 3, 1908.

vfollowing is a description,

UNITED STATES PATENT oroEIoE.

oHAnLEs SUBERT, `or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HUMIDIFIER.

speincation of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov..3, 1908.

Applioa'ldon med November 20', 1907. Serial No. 403,016.

which a fan is employed to force a current of air against the wlngs of a revoluble frame covered with an absorbent material and arranged to be brought into contact with water.

I have found in practice that when an air current is taken directly from the Yfan blades without any intervening controller, any slight modifying influence, such, for example, as a chan e in the position of the fan or the opening o a doorl or window, may cause the humidifier to stop; and, if not noticed at once, it may remain at a standstill indefinitel when the action of the air -from the fan wi l have an opposite effect from that intended by producing drought instead ofmoisture. Moreover, the direct action of the fan, as described, if run with sufficient speed to insure the continuous rotation of the humidifier, will cause the motion of the latter to accelerate so as to spatterl the water.

The obj ect of my invention is to combine with a fan and revoluble humidifier frame, a shield so constructed that all of the air will be utilized to the best advantage; the greater portion being directed against the humidifier wings in such a Way as to insure continuous rotation thereof, while a portion may be utilized as a retarder or governor,-thereby insuring a substantially uniform speed at a predetermined rata-all of which is hereinafter more particularly. described and definitely ointed out in the ciaims.

In t e drawings, Figure' 1, is a side elevation of a fan and revoluble humidifier embodying the features of my invention, Fig. 2, is a front elevation of the fan shield, and Fig. 3, is a sectional view of the fan shield taken upon the line 3, Fig. 2, viewed in the direction of the arrow there shown.

Referring to the drawings, a, Figs. 1 .and 3,

y reservoir f.

represents generally a well known` form of electric fan, the blades b, of which are shown 1n sald last named figure. Said fan is vplaced in operative proximity to a humidifier, generally desi of a revolu le frame d having a central shaft e, mounted in suitable bearings above a water Over said frame is stretched a cover g of absorbent .material arranged to form a' series of radial wings, which, when rotated, successively dip into the water of the receptacle. The fan 1s placed in position so that a current of air therefrom may serve to actuate the frame. y

Surroundin the fan is a shield consisting of a hollow cy inder h, havin a front fi, but

open at the back. Said shie d may be supported in any well known way upon the frame of the fan orotherwise. Main eduction cpeningsj, "7c, the latter of which is shown in 1g. 2, and both in Fig. 3, are formed in the front i, one in the upper and the other in the lower part of said front. Over the opening j is llaced a downwardly and outwardly flaring shield Z, openat the bottom, for directing the air from the upper portion of the fan downwardly and outwardly, so as to impinge obliquely u on'the upper face ofthe wings, as indicate by the arrows, as said wings are presented successively in substantially horizontal positions; Extending outwardly from the opening k, are iianges m which serve to direct the current of air from the lower portion of the fan horizontally against the lowermost wing of the humidifier, as indicated by the arrows.

Instead of employing mechanical brakev for impeding the motion of the humidier frame and preventing an acceleration of speed, I have found that the air itself may be utilized to accomplish this result. For this purpose I provide an opening n, Fig. 2, in the front i and extend therefrom a conduit o, also shown in the other figures, of any desired cross-section, but preferably triangular, outvv ardly in a substantially horlzontal plane above the axis of the humidifier frame. 'Ibis causes an independent current of air of relatively small volume, to be directed against the uppermost vanes as they move towards the fan, which acts as an automatic governor to retard and control the speed of the wings.

I have found in practice that by means of nated by c, Fig. l, which consists my improved device the volume of air which may be brought into direct contact with the absorbent material, may not only be much increased but that the continuous rotation of the humidifier may be thereby insured and the speed regulated.

If preferred, means may be provided for varying the amount of the retarding current by varying the size of the opening; but I have not found this necessary 1n practice. One or more openings p, Fi 2, may be formed in the front fi, if des1red, ut I do not consider' themA essential. A iiange Fig. 3, is, by preference, formed u on the ower edge of the opening which ten s to direct the a1r in the upper art of the shell through said opening an that immediately below through the opening n.

I have stated that the shield is open at the back. This opening may be co-extensive with the diameter of the shield; but inasmuch as the openings in 'the front 'i are insufficient to permit all of the air to escape therefrom that would be drawn from a re'ar ol enin having a diameter as large as that o the s ield, I have found in ractice that aback pressure occurs as a resu t of suon con.

struction, and hence I prefer to provide a flange 1, Fig 3, in the rear, which serves to prevent the ack-iiow of'air at the periphery, which would otherwise occur as a resultv of centrifugal action, and to force said air outwardly from the front openings.

By means of my im roved device a humidifier ma be o erate With certainty and at a s eedy whic will insure the best results wit out spattering the water.

It is obvious that the device may be greatly modified in shape and appearance and the Wings or vanes may be varied in form with out departing from the spirit of the invention.

I make no claim herein to the construction of the humidifier frame, that being described and claimed in a separate application filed herewith as Serial No. 403,017.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:-

1.- In a device of the class described, the combination with a revoluble `humidifier frame, of means for projecting a volume of air against one portion Aof said frame to cause its rotation, and means for projecting a lesser volume of air against another portion of said frame in opposition to the former, to control its speed and prevent acceleration.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination with a revoluble humidifier frame, of a fan, a shield interposed between said fan and frame, an opening in said shield for directing a current of air against said frame upon one side of its axis to cause its rotat1on, and a separate openlng thereln'for directing a smaller current of air agalnst said frame uponthe opposite side of said axis from that of the first.

3. A humidilier in which is combined a revoluble frame having wings or vanes, with an absorbent material mounted thereon, means for bringing said material into contact with a liquid, a fan for inducing a current of air to actuate said frame, and an interposed shield arranged to'simultaneously direct opposing currents of said air of relatively differ ent volumes, against' different wings.

4. A humidifier in which iscombined a revoluble frame having wings or vanes, with an absorbent material mounted thereon, means for bringing water intocontact with said absorbent material, a fan for inducingr a iiow of air to actuate said frame, means in. terposed between said fan and frame for di* recting the main body of the air from oppc site sides of the axis of the fan in a way to drive the frame in a iven direction, and means for directing aIesser portion of air from said fan in a dlrection to oppose the rotation of said frame.

5. A humidifier in which is combined a revoluble frame having Wings with an ab sorbent material mounted thereon, means for bringing water into contact with said absorbent material, a fan for inducing a iiow of air to actuate said frame, a shield interposed between said fan and frame provided with two main front openines'one above and the '-L other below the axis of the fan, one for directing the air downwardl and forwardly at an angle to the plane of t e shield while the other directs it forwardly and horizontally against the wings of the frame, below the frame axis, and means for directing a smaller current of air forwardly against the wings of the frame in a plane above the'axis of the latter.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a revoluble humidifier frame having an absorbent material mounted thereon, of means for bringing a liquid into contact with said material as the frame l t) l.)

is rotated, a fan for inducing a current of air 1i.

to actuate said frame, an inte. osed shield having a front opening arrange to direct a current of air against a predetermined portion of said frame, a front opening arranged to direct a current of air of lesser volume against a different portion of said frame to oppose the action of said first current, and means in the rear of said shield for preventing a back iiow of air.

7. In a device of the class described, the combination with a revoluble humidifier frame having an absorbent material mounted thereon, said frame bein arranged to rotate upon a horizontal axis, 0I means for bringing a liquid into contact with said material as the frame is rotated, a fan for inducinga current ing witnesses, this 16th day of November 1907.

' v CHARLES SUBERT.

of air to actuate said frame, and a shield interposed between said fan and frame, said shield having an opening in front, and means for directing the air forwardly and down- 5 wardly against the win of the frame. Witnesses:

In testimony Where@ I have signed this D. H. FLETCHER, specification in the presence of two subscrib- CARRIE E. JORDAN. 

